


Curiosity Killed the Bat

by mochimogalina



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-26 19:37:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21379459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mochimogalina/pseuds/mochimogalina
Summary: (Manga Spoilers) When a simple trip in the hot air balloon goes awry, the Kingdom of Science's resident black bat struggles to recover on his own. His friends just want to help... (Set during the construction of the Perseus)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 104





	1. Chapter 1

Asagiri Gen really didn't like heights, but at this point, it had become somewhat embarrassing for him. Just about every other person in the Kingdom of Science had had a chance to ride in the hot air balloon, including little Suika. _Six times._

Kohaku found his evasiveness around the hot air balloon rides amusing, "Is our little black bat afraid of heights?" 

Gen put up an apathetic front toward the whole thing, but deep down... he really was curious. 

Before being petrified, Gen had only flown on a plane twice. In fact, he hadn't even glanced out the window either time, opting to slam the thing shut the moment he had boarded. The turbulent flights had made him swear off flying ever again, and he always took the train when traveling across Japan. Amusement parks were always a no. Tree climbing was a never. Traveling outside of Japan was just not going to happen, no matter what his manager had said. 

Gen liked his feet on the ground, thank you very much.

But he was curious.

As cliche as it sounded, what was it like to touch the clouds? To fly above them?

Chrome seemed to love flying, jumping at the chance to ride in the balloon every single time he could. Their first insane adventure on the thing hadn't scared him off, and Gen was a bit envious.

So when Ryusui and Chrome were setting off on another short information-gathering trip, Gen bit the bullet.

"I think I'll join you this time," he put on a brave face, "That is, if you don't already have a third party member." He glanced around, hoping that someone in the group had already volunteered to go. Only three people were allowed on the balloon at once, after all.

Senku cackled, "Actually I was going to go and test out this new equipment," he lifted up an amalgamation that Gen didn't in the least bit recognize. "But seeing as you're one of the only people who hasn't had a chance to ride, you can take my spot, Mentalist." He gave Gen a sly look as he tossed the equipment to Chrome, who looked more than happy to take it from him.

Gen groaned inwardly and stepped aboard the aircraft, cursing the stupid decision. Chrome's adventurous spirit must have been rubbing off on him. Gen would have to watch himself more carefully after this.

_There are no windows to shut on a balloon,_ a voice piped up in his head,_ It's all just open air. You could fall right out. _

_You probably will._

He shook his head and watched Chrome and Ryusui at work, readying for lift-off. He trusted Ryusui almost as implicitly as he did Senku, and Chrome was... well, Chrome. The guy was an innocent adventurer who would do anything to keep them all safe. 

Gen focused on appearing cool and collected and asked if there was anything he could do to help.

He jerked involuntarily when the balloon lifted a foot off the ground, his cool smirk slipping into panic.

"Sorry, sorry, that was my bad," Chrome whistled innocently as Ryusui smacked him on the head.

Kohaku leaned against the basket and spoke quietly, "You don't really have to go up there if you don't want to, Gen. That was unfair of me to goad you," she looked slightly guilty.

Gen lessened his grip on the handrail so that his knuckles weren't so white, "Naw, it's just going to be a short trip," he forced the trembling out of his voice and smiled at her, "It would be pretty lame if the mentalist of the group backed out because of a mental fear," he poked his head and tried to exude confidence. It normally came naturally to him, but this time he had to force it.

Kohaku frowned and Gen suspected she wasn't falling for his act, "Well, okay. Have fun." Gen heard her mumble something about 'stubborn men' as she walked away.

Ryusui spoke up and tossed his hat to Francois for safekeeping, "Alright, we're off for real! See y'all in a little bit." The balloon started lifting off the ground and Gen appreciated how smoothly Ryusui handled the aircraft compared to Chrome.

The balloon lifted without a hitch. 100 meters. 200 meters. Before long, they were as far up as a skyscraper. 

Gen was astounded by the sight of the horizon ahead of him... it was absolutely mesmerizing. The forest... the skies... everything. Not a building in sight.

"Pretty baaad, right?" Chrome grinned and elbowed Gen.

Knocked out of his stupor, Gen jumped and gave an involuntary shriek at Chrome's jab. He imagined the basket was tipping and he was falling to his doom. 

"Aw, dude, are you alright?" Chrome grabbed Gen by the shoulders, steadying him. "I thought you 'modern world' people were used to this sort of thing."

Ryusui spoke up, "Taking joyrides in hot air balloons wasn't as normal as flying in planes or whatnot, Chromey. It's much more of an... open experience. Not everyone is prepared for it." He winked at Gen, "It was pretty obvious you didn't want to come along, so why did you?"

Gen straightened himself out and gazed out on the horizon, feeling a sense of calm overriding the fear, "I... wanted to see it too. If everyone here in this stone world could enjoy the high view... then why couldn't I?" he gave a tight smile, "Besides, I've never seen the clouds from above. I was curious."

Chrome laughed, "Wow, I got to do something that a 'modern' dude like you never did! Don't worry, we'll make an adventurer out of you yet," he smacked Gen on the shoulder a little more lightly.

"You're a guy who never opened his windows on plane trips, huh?" Ryusui rubbed his black fingers against his forehead, "Well, we're not going to be going as high as the clouds, but the view is still pretty--" he cut off as the balloon suddenly jerked.

Gen grabbed onto the basket side tightly, biting his lip so as not to scream and lose his composure. It was bad enough that he was so jumpy. _Don't panic. Don't panic. This is completely normal--_

"We've got some nasty wind currents blowing through here," Ryusui said, gazing outward, "Now that we can see above the mountain range there's a nice-sized storm heading this way."

Chrome tied Senku's device down and smiled reassuringly at Gen, "Relax, bro. The storm we went through the first time was wayyy worse. Ryusui and I are air balloon pros. Pro Bros."

Ryusui tossed a pouch into the air and it fell a few meters before being snatched and blown straight upward.

"Uh oh."

"The current is moving us toward an updraft," Ryusui explained hastily, maneuvering the controls with ease.

"So we're going down?" Gen asked hopefully.

"The opposite. We gotta rise to get away from the updraft," Ryusui pointed up.

"How does that make any sense??" Gen tried to swallow his panic.

Chrome gave him a thumbs up, "Just trust us, dude!"

And that's where it all went wrong.

* * *

They were flying. Soaring through the air like the dynamite paper airplanes they had thrown against the Tsukasa Empire.

In fact, it was exactly like that because Gen was ten billion percent certain that they were going to explode and die. _Errible-tay. _

He had known it was going to end like this.

"Why? Why did I tag along?" Gen wailed into the open sky, his voice unheard by the other two who were focused on piloting the aircraft.

The balloon was getting whipped around by air currents from every direction and even Ryusui strained to keep up with the changing patterns.

The storm had struck much faster than expected, and Ryusui had blamed monsoon season. Gen blamed it on Senku's rotten luck, which had rubbed off on all of them.

"We're going to do what we did the first time, Chrome! We're going to keep climbing so we can get above the storm!" he yelled to be heard over the pelting rain. A flash of lightning lit the sky and Gen mentally painted a target on the balloon. 

_How much metal is on this thing anyway?_

The other two were hard at work pumping hot air into the balloon and keeping it steady so it would rise. Gen felt completely useless, clinging to the side of the basket in terror. 

"We're already in the storm!" 

"Keep rising! Get above it!"

"We're going to die!" Gen interjected and was ignored.

Ryusui threw another pouch out and watched it fly, "There! Aim for there! The wind will take us up," he shouted instructions to Chrome, who unquestioningly obeyed.

So they flew.

Up and up and up.

Gen knew he was screaming, but he couldn't hear it. 

He saw Ryusui yelling something to Chrome, but it was lost to the wind. In fact, the wind itself was turning into nothing but white noise...

He felt really heavy. His vision blurred and his head drooped. He couldn't... breathe.

Before his eyes shut completely he saw Ryusui gesturing wildly at him.

_Sorry... I can't help..._

And then he was floating.

* * *

Ryusui put his brave 'Captain Face' on, but on the inside, he was cursing. Cursing himself and cursing the unpredictable weather patterns that were hurtling them through the atmosphere. 

Well, that was a bit dramatic, but the rate of ascent still worried him.

Higher and higher and higher they went. How far did this storm reach?

He looked at Chrome, who appeared worried, "Relax, once we're above the storm we'll cut our ascent and get around it," he dragged his fingers through his sopping hair and shivered, taking note of how cold it had become.

Ryusui hadn't been paying attention at the time, but now that they were riding the single updraft, he noticed the atmospheric changes. He didn't need an altimeter to tell him that they were ascending too high.

Maybe they really were hurtling through the atmosphere.

He glanced at Gen and took note that the mentalist had finally stopped his screaming and looked a lot more relaxed. Actually, a little too relaxed. Gen appeared nearly lifeless.

"Chrome, get the ventilator out!" he ordered, jumping to the mentalist's side. His head lolled at Ryusui's touch and he quickly tied a safety rope around Gen's abdomen. 

Chrome handed him two of the jury-rigged ventilation masks that Senku had cobbled together after their first incident. Ryusui strapped one on the unconscious Gen and then applied his own, feeling a lot better at the sudden intake of oxygen he hadn't realized that he had been missing.

Everything was going to be fine. The updraft was taking them through the clouds and then they would be home free.

And that's when the air current shifted. 

_No..._

Another current tugged the aircraft violently to the side and the balloon found itself in another nexus of currents.

Ryusui jumped at the valve and pumped as much air as he could, the balloon rising only slightly. "We need to go up!" his voice was muffled by the mask.

Chrome took off his mask and gestured at the ventilator tank, "Oxygen! We can use it to climb!" 

That was true... the extra intake of oxygen could very well be the extra oomph they needed to get through the storm. But...

They were too high. The human body could be a fragile thing sometimes. 

He tried calculating in his head, putting his mind in the mind of Senku's. They needed a couple of minutes, tops. They could do it.

Ryusui gestured for Chrome to watch over Gen, "Take a deep breath because we're about to lose that extra oxygen. In three... two..."

"ONE!"

He yanked the pipe out of the primitive tank and the oxygen ignited the flames, the balloon hurtling upwards and catching the updraft once more. 

It worked...

Ryusui focused intently on the job at hand. Get above the storm. Avoid the jet streams. Move away and move down. Get everyone home safe.

Easier said than done. 

So he focused and used all his willpower to avoid blacking out. _You're the best navigator in the world! Your crew is counting on you, Nanami Ryusui. _

He grinned to himself; so they were.

Within two minutes the aircraft was free of the storm and making rapid descent into the forest. Neither Ryusui nor the balloon had the strength left to pilot all the way back to Senku or the village. They would rest and try to fix the aircraft first. If anything, maybe Senku already had a team going after them. He was efficient like that.

The balloon landed in a fashion that would normally have Ryusui in a fit, but he was too exhausted to care. They had landed on the ground and no one was dead.

He lifted his head off the floor with a sharp stab of fear. _I haven't even checked on my crew!_

He crawled over to the two and shook Chrome, who groaned in response, his eyes fluttering open. Chrome immediately sat up and rubbed his head, which satisfied Ryusui. 

He turned to Gen, whose mask was still uselessly strapped to his face, and shook him gently. He pulled the mask off and wasn't pleased with how blue the mentalist looked.

Crap. Crap. Crap.

Chrome leaned over after regaining his senses, "I don't think he's breathing," his voice had an undertone of panic, "What do we do??"

Ryusui looked helplessly at Chrome; How likely was it that the guy knew CPR?

"We can use this!" Chrome lifted the mask triumphantly.

"It's not attached to anything!"

"No, but see..." Chrome quickly attached a weather balloon bag to the end and jury-rigged a bag ventilator. "It's like a--"

"No time!" Ryusui grabbed the mask and started artificially pumping oxygen into Gen as quickly as he could. Gen's chest rose slightly and Ryusui praised Chrome's brilliance and thanked his lucky stars that he didn't have to perform mouth-to-mouth. 

After a minute and no reaction, they started to get worried again. "Nothing?" Chrome asked quietly and felt Gen's wrist. "I think I feel his pulse a little more strongly... just keep going."

Ryusui continued to work at the mask, praying that Gen would start breathing. It wasn't as if anything was blocking the air passages, but likely that he was too weak to breathe on his own.

"C'mon, Gen. Wake up, buddy," Chrome leaned in toward Gen's ear and whispered encouragingly. "The Kingdom of Science isn't gonna be too happy with us if something happens to you, dude."

Gen was still pale, but certainly not as blue as he had been. At least it was something. 

Finally, after nearly ten minutes, Ryusui noticed Gen's chest rise on its own. He stopped pumping and watched hopefully. Gen breathed again and Ryusui collapsed on his side in relief.

"Oh, thank goodness..."

Chrome grabbed Ryusui's shoulder worriedly, "Wait, are you okay? What do I do now?"

Ryusui waved Chrome's hand away, "Hold on, hold on. I'm just tired. Watch him and make sure he's still breathing," he instructed Chrome.

After Ryusui took a short breather, he sat up and inspected the unconscious magician again. "Alright, Chrome, we need to build a fire and get he and ourselves warmed up. Night's gonna fall soon and we're all soaked to the bone."

Chrome dutifully started building a fire and Ryusui watched over Gen, his brow furrowed in worry. 

Sure, he was breathing properly now, if shallow breathing was considered 'proper', but how long had Gen been without oxygen? The closest thing they had to a doctor was Senku, who was probably nowhere near them.

Ryusui felt an unexpected stab of guilt; he had known that Gen hadn't wanted to go. Ryusui had assured him that it was going to be safe, but now Gen was never going to trust him again, and that bothered Ryusui immensely. 

He gently carried the mentalist over to the fire and they removed most of their wet clothes and hung them to dry before it got completely dark. 

"Well," Chrome attempted to lighten the mood, "At least it's not raining over here."

"You saw how fast storms can strike. Don't say that and ruin our chances," Ryusui snapped. He felt bad immediately and apologized, "Sorry..." he rubbed his forehead tiredly, "Don't listen to me. Of course you're right."

Unruffled, Chrome snacked on some bread that Francois had provided them, "I'm worried too. How soon can we set off? Can we repair it ourselves?" 

The balloon had been torn in multiple places during their rough landing and Ryusui suspected that more than one thing needed a good overhaul on the balloon before they could ride again. He shook his head, "Not likely. We need at least Senku and probably Yuzuriha over here to get the balloon in working condition. Then we can get it back to the shipyard safely and fix it up."

"In that case, we have nothing to worry about," Chrome smiled confidently. "Senku and the others are already tracking us down... I have faith in them."

Ryusui couldn't help but feel a bit uplifted by Chrome's unflappable positivity. 

After letting their clothes dry out, Ryusui wrapped Gen up in his cloak, the mentalist showing no sign of waking. It was worrying.

Chrome stood up, "I'll take the first watch while you get some sleep. The Captain won't be much use to us if he's too exhausted to do anything." 

Ryusui couldn't argue with that, and he trusted Chrome completely, so he rested his eyes and let the crackling fire lull him to sleep.

* * *

Chrome was fighting the urge to nod off when a sharp cracking noise knocked him into full alert. He stood up and waved a sharp stick around threateningly, "Who's there??"

"Chrome!" Kohaku leapt forward and wrapped him in a relieved hug.

Kohaku let go and called back, "Over here! They're over here!" she looked Chrome over and fixed his askew headband, "Is everyone okay?" She glanced over his shoulder toward the fire. 

Chrome sagged slightly and she steered him toward the fire. "Sit," she ordered him. He did so compliantly and basked in the glow of the flames with relief.

Senku appeared beside them, trailed by Taiju, Yuzuriha, Francois, Ukyo, and Suika. Chrome felt his anxiety dissipate with his friends' appearance and he smiled in relief. "All of you guys came to get us?" He was touched and his eyes watered.

"Get ahold of yourself, Chrome. You're overly tired," Senku prodded him with annoyance. 

Francois dropped Ryusui's hat onto the sleeping man and woke him gently, "Young master, we have arrived," she whispered.

"No time for that," Senku spoke without pity and raised his voice, "Wakey, wakey, you two! Help has arrived!" he clapped his hands obnoxiously and danced around the fire. Chrome crossed his fingers that Senku would be able to wake the unconscious Gen where he and Ryusui had failed.

Ryusui raised his head groggily, his hat falling into place naturally, "Whazzat...? Ehh?" he blinked blearily.

Suika went over to Gen and shook him, "Geeeen, you gotta get up. Didn't you hear?"

Chrome's forehead furrowed and he pinched the bridge of his nose, "Actually, Suika... he's been unresponsive since we were up in the air." Guilt flowed into him and he placed his head in his hands, "We've tried everything..."

Ryusui spoke up, seemingly fully awake, "He passed out when we reached high altitudes and we put him on the ventilator, but we needed the extra oxygen so we..." Ryusui took a shaky breath.

"How long was he without oxygen?" Senku asked immediately and Chrome looked back up. Senku appeared to be serious, his eyes sharp as he removed Ryusui's cloak and looked Gen over. 

Chrome spoke up, "There's really no way to tell. When we landed we gave him, uh-"

"CPR," Ryusui interjected.

"Yeah, that. With this," he pointed to the cobbled-together ventilator mask. "For... ten minutes? Then he started breathing on his own again."

Chrome heard Senku mutter something about anoxia (whatever that meant), his face grim, "I want to get him back to the shipyard and monitor him." He looked up at Chrome and Ryusui, "You did the right thing, though. Probably saved his life."

The group worked quickly to get the balloon repaired enough to get it back to the shipyard. Once it was up and running, Ryusui and Ukyo rode in the balloon and Chrome opted to walk on the ground with the rest of the group. The rest of the trip went without a hitch and they all rested until dawn broke.

* * *

Two days later, Senku sat in the hut with the still comatose Gen and worked quietly on the ship's blueprints. Rain pelted against the outside in a soothing rhythm that helped Senku concentrate on his work. 

The mentalist stirred and Senku nearly tore the paper in shock, his work already forgotten as he scrambled to Gen's side. "Gen?" he tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

Gen's eyes fluttered open and he opened his mouth to speak, no sound coming out. 

Senku gestured for him to wait and proceeded to give him water, lifting Gen's head up when he made no move to grab the cup, "Drink up," he demanded.

He laid Gen's head back down and the mentalist sighed, his eyes closing again. "Wait, wait," Senku snapped, "I know you're tired, but you suffered severe oxygen deprivation and I need to make sure everything's working alright. You've already been asleep for days."

Gen's brow furrowed slightly and his eyes cracked open, "...oxygen... dep...?" he slurred. 

Senku swallowed his worry, "Anoxia," he stated, "You nearly died, man."

Gen was silent for a moment and Senku wondered if he was really taking it all in, "When...?" Gen asked. "I don't remember..." he frowned.

"That's normal. Memory loss is a totally normal symptom of anoxia. You went up in the balloon and there were some complications..." he trailed off as Gen's brow furrowed in confusion.

"'Balloon'?" he questioned.

"The hot air balloon. You guys flew way too high into the atmosphere and--"

"When did we..." Gen coughed, "...hot air balloon...?" 

Senku stiffened. At least three months ago. "Gen, what's the last thing you remember?"

Gen shut his eyes tightly and appeared to concentrate, "Um... I was... no. We were running...?" He groaned in frustration. "From Ukyo. Magma and Chrome created a diversion so that I could escape..."

He sat up suddenly, "Chrome! Chrome was captured... I remember... that."

Senku forced the mentalist to lie back down, "That was a while ago. Chrome escaped and we beat the Tsukasa army, remember?" he prodded.

"We did...?" Gen gazed up at the ceiling, looking distinctly uncomfortable. 

At that moment Ryusui poked his head in the door, "Senku, I was wondering if--" his eyes widened as he noticed Gen awake and he bolted into the room. "Gen! When were you going to tell us he was awake??" Ryusui's face lit up and he leaned over the mentalist.

"Dude, you're going to freak him out! He literally just woke up!" Senku yanked the overly exuberant navigator away by the ear. 

Senku turned to Gen with a tight smile, gesturing to Ryusui, "You remember him, right? Does this face ring any bells?" 

"'Remember?' Does he have amnesia?" Ryusui asked, looking rattled. 

"I don't know yet," Senku hissed, "We're trying to figure that out right now. He just woke up so his brain is just clearing away the cobwebs..." 

"I don't... I don't know..." Gen spoke softly, his voice apologetic. "I'm not sure..."

Ryusui removed his hat and set it aside, moving closer into Gen's view. "What...?" Ryusui attempted to keep the tremor out of his voice, "How could you forget a face like mine, hm?" he laughed softly. 

Gen studied him silently for what felt like an eternity and finally spoke, "S-sorry. I'm trying..."

Ryusui's face fell slightly and he forced a smile. 

"Well, maybe after more rest everything will be back to normal," Ryusui donned his hat and stood to leave, "I'll leave you be for now..." he shared a look with Senku and exited the hut.

Gen sighed, "I upset him."

"It's not your fault. He's just worried about you... He feels responsible," Senku explained. 

"Why?"

"He was captaining the balloon when the whole thing happened. But he also saved your life... it wasn't really anyone's fault..." he drifted off, thinking. Too many people felt responsible even though it had been completely out of their hands. 

Senku smiled bitterly, "It's a bit hard to keep morale up when your morale officer is down for the count, ku ku..." 

"Did everyone live?" Gen asked.

"What?"

"Did... did we lose anyone?" he repeated, his voice nearly a whisper. "During the... attack."

Oh, the attack on the Tsukasa Army. Right.

"No... we won. Tsukasa was betrayed by Hyoga in the end and was badly injured, so we had to put him in a cryo-freeze until we get the petrification ray, but nobody was killed," he added, "Technically."

Gen appeared to relax, "Ah, good... I'm glad." 

"Get some more sleep. You'll feel better later," Senku picked his papers back up and attempted to regain his focus. He didn't want to admit it, but Gen's behavior left the scientist feeling shaken. 

This could be problematic.

* * *

Gen awoke the next day, feeling a little less miserable than he had the day before. This time Kohaku was keeping watch over him, looking diligent as always.

Her face brightened when she noticed him, "You're awake! How do you feel?"

"Not sure," he spoke honestly, his voice cracking, "Thirsty." She handed him water and he sat up, strong enough to drink on his own this time. 

"I... wanted to apologize," Kohaku stammered awkwardly and Gen frowned in bewilderment. 

"Why...?" 

"I poked fun at you for not wanting to ride in the balloon. But then... I mean, I just feel guilty. I wanted to apologize," she looked away.

"I... don't remember," Gen felt lost, "But... if it's any consolation, I'm not one to be goaded into doing something like that. I'm a mentalist..." he coughed, his throat still dry. "I probably had a different motive... not that I recall..." 

Kohaku sighed, "You really don't remember. If it helps at all, Senku said that you could still regain your lost memories," she tapped his forehead lightly.

"He told everyone...?"

"He didn't want the villagers to overwhelm you," Kohaku clarified, sensing his unease. 

Gen fidgeted uncomfortably, "How many people are out there...? Do I...know...?"

Kohaku nodded in understanding, "We've joined up with the Tsukasa Army, and I think you know most of them... Um, and we revived Ryusui, who you met yesterday. And Francois, the butler. That's about it..." she sat silently for a moment, "But hopefully your memory returns and everything'll be back to normal."

Gen felt a stab in his chest. _Normal... _

Right now things weren't normal, and they needed to be. He was their mentalist, but right now his mental capabilities weren't where they should be.

He stared at his trembling hands, feeling utterly useless. 

Kohaku noticed and pulled his shaking hands into hers, "I'm sorry, everything's going to be just fine," she smiled encouragingly, but Gen wasn't fooled by her sad eyes. He had upset her just as he had Senku and... Ryusui yesterday.

"Hold on, Senku told me to tell him if you got up," she left the hut and Gen sat alone.

Senku and Kohaku came back a few minutes later and Senku looked him over. "Do you feel strong enough to walk?" he asked, "Some fresh air might do you some good."

Gen nodded in agreement and allowed the two to help him stand, his legs feeling embarrassingly weak. "I can... walk a little," he admitted.

"It's fine, I'll support you," Kohaku volunteered. 

"Hold on a second, it's getting chilly outside, so it's time you put some dang shoes on, mentalist," Senku dropped a pair onto the floor and proceeded to help him put them on. Gen had to admit it was a bit more comfortable.

"Alright, this is actually a bit exciting. I get to explain the ship-building process all over again," Senku rubbed his hands together with a gleam in his eye. 

Kohaku and Gen shuddered in unison.

"Ship-building?" he inquired. "Like a... _ship_, ship?" 

They led him outside and Ukyo and Chrome met them nervously. 

"Heyo, Gen," Chrome waved with an unnatural smile. 

Ukyo simply fidgeted, obviously uncomfortable with the idea that Gen last remembered Ukyo shooting arrows at him. "How are you feeling?"

Gen didn't want to talk about how he was feeling. He pulled away from Kohaku and stood on his own strength, "I'm dandy. Really." This seemed to satisfy them and they let him be.

"Here's where we're building the ship," Senku gestured toward an insanely large, wooden frame.

Gen stifled a gasp at the construction. "We really are building a ship..." His breath hitched when an image of ship blueprints flashed through his mind. Yo's and Magma's ship designs and the overwhelming support for Senku's design and...

Were those memories...? No, fragments. 

The overwhelming idea of memory loss hit him like a train._ I'm actually missing memories. Real memories. _

His legs buckled and Kohaku caught him, alarm in her voice, "Gen?"

She steadied him as he sat on his knees, trembling. "He's shaking like a leaf," Kohaku pleaded with Senku, "We should get him back inside."

Gen couldn't concentrate... Senku lifted his chin up and looked steadily into his eyes, but Gen couldn't focus. _What happened to me...? Why...? _

He was vaguely aware of more people surrounding him. Oh, no, no, no... He was causing a scene. He heard Kaseki's voice and Kinro and Ginro... Taiju's booming voice and Yuzuriha's soft whisper. He heard Suika say something, but he couldn't acknowledge it. _Go away... go away... I'm sorry..._

He felt Kohaku's hands clasp his shoulders comfortingly and heard Senku say something about buzzing off...

"Here, lemme help..."

"Wait, Gen--"

"C'mon--"

"I think we should--"

"He needs--"

He couldn't take it... he doubled over and gripped his head, a tiny part of his consciousness aware of the tears dripping down his face. He wanted to be embarrassed, but couldn't. Everything hurt too badly.

"That's enough!" 

Strong arms lifted him up like a baby, away from the chaos. 

Everything was suddenly much quieter and Gen relaxed slightly. He kept his eyes closed and focused on listening. Who was...?

"Thank you, Magma," Senku spoke up.

Magma?

Magma laid him back down presumably in the hut, and spoke, "Everyone was being stupid," he growled, "He was obviously overwhelmed."

"It's nice to know you have a heart sometimes," Kohaku replied in an unnecessarily snarky tone. 

"Yeah, well, it's nothin'," he rumbled, "I guess I owed the trickster something for last time, y'know."

A beat.

"Eh, actually I did help him escape Ukyo, so now he owes me."

That sounded a bit more like Magma. 

The hut suddenly felt empty, and Gen's trembling lessened a bit. 

"He's gone, Gen," Senku announced quietly.

Gen turned on his side toward the wall and covered his eyes with his hands, unable to hide his distress. He had panicked. He had had a complete meltdown, he, the _mentalist_. In front of everybody. 

They all must be so disappointed in him. He was so weak...

Kohaku stroked his hair soothingly and Gen relaxed involuntarily under her gentle touch. No one said anything for a while and eventually Gen drifted off into a deep slumber. 

* * *

"Our little black bat isn't doing so well," Kohaku murmured so as not to wake Gen, who had finally fallen asleep.

Senku rubbed the back of his neck, "This sort of thing would knock anyone off their feet," he sighed, "And considering his job as a mentalist, he's putting too much pressure on himself. You can tell."

"That's not fair, though. He should give himself more credit because he almost--" Kohaku's voice started to raise and she caught herself.

"Tell him that," Senku pointed at the sleeping form. "It's only been a couple of days... knowing him, he'll bounce back in no time. Try not to worry so much."

"I... suppose..." she remained unconvinced.

A small form popped into the hut and Kohaku had to stifle a strongly-worded rebuke. "Suika, what did we say--"

"Sorry, I'm sorry!" she whispered loudly, "Suika just... wanted to give him this." Suika held out a stuffed plushie that Yuzuriha had made for her. Kohaku was pretty sure it was supposed to be a watermelon dog, but what did she know? 

"Suika feels bad... Gen looked so scared. So... maybe this can help a little?" she cocked her head hopefully. 

Senku opened his mouth to say something but Kohaku gestured death threats to him and he remained silent.

"That was very kind of you, Suika. Are you sure you don't want to keep it?"

"Suika thinks he could use it more than me," Suika smiled genuinely and handed Kohaku the stuffed toy.

She sat it next to Gen's head and patted Suika's helmet affectionately, "I'm sure he'll be very happy when he wakes up. Now go run along and help Ryusui with the ship, alright?"

Suika beamed and did as she was asked, leaving them alone once more.

* * *

Days later, Gen was still walled up in his hut. He felt somewhat stronger, but couldn't swallow the panic that would rise up at the thought of facing everyone again. Sure, a face popped into the tent here and then, inquiring if he wanted anything. Senku appeared regularly to check him over and make sure that he was eating. 

But he just couldn't leave the hut. He still got spells of vertigo and sometimes he had difficulty saying what he wanted to say. It's like his brain had random spasms and decided not to work at times.

He couldn't have something like that happen while he was outside with everyone. If he collapsed again, they would all rush to his side and he... 

As if on cue, the room tilted violently and Gen collapsed face first, coughing painfully as he inhaled dust. He shifted onto his side and whimpered at a sharp burst of pain in his head. He opted to stay where he was, waiting for it to pass.

But why...? Tears of frustration dampened his face and he buried his face in his arms, stifling pathetic sobs. 

He held his breath in fear when he heard footsteps enter the room and he felt shamefully vulnerable.

He willed the person to go away and leave him be, but no such luck.

"It really isn't fair," Kaseki's voice spoke up, "A youngster like you shouldn't be in such a state."

What was the old man doing here?

Kaseki turned Gen onto his back and he closed his eyes painfully, "Ngh."

The old man lifted Gen up like Gen was nothing but paper and dragged him outside, ignoring Gen's feeble protest. Kaseki dropped him into a bath of water, clothes and all. 

"No one's around," Kaseki declared, "Everyone's gone to the fields for the day and it was my job to watch after you, but I thought I should step in further." He leaned over and rubbed the dust from Gen's tear-stained cheek, "Get washed up and you'll feel much better. Alright?" The old man left Gen alone and he decided to do as he was told.

After an admittedly refreshing bath, Gen made his way to Kaseki, who was working diligently on the ship's frame.

"You really shouldn't be working on that alone, old fossil," Gen spoke up. 

"Probably, but that's a weakness all we stubborn folk seem to have in common, mm?" he raised an eyebrow at the mentalist.

Gen folded his sleeves together in classic fashion, "Oh?"

"Taking things on alone," he knocked on the wood, "Everyone wants to help you, you know."

Gen's throat tightened and he glanced away, "I know that, I know..." 

"But...?"

"I... can't... not like this..." he stammered.

"Because you've lost some of your memories?" Kaseki questioned patiently.

"No! It's not just that! I actually..." he sat down, "I think I'm getting some of them back... in pieces. You know... it's confusing. My head hurts," he admitted.

"Oho! That's a good sign after all..." Kaseki raised his eyebrows.

Gen hugged his knees, "I had oxygen deprivation for minutes. Minutes. And this is what happened. I feel like I'm falling apart..." his voice fell to a whisper and he buried his head in his knees. "I don't want everyone to see me like this... how am I supposed to do my job?"

Kaseki patted Gen's head affectionately, "Young Gen, Senku was right. You're putting too much pressure on yourself."

Gen lifted his head questioningly and Kaseki continued, "You know, you've been holed up in your hut for over a week now and haven't been out here among everyone else." He gestured around him.

"This ship here hasn't been touched in days... Ryusui's been stomping around the shoreline, Chrome's been foraging through the forests and bringing nothing back, Kohaku's been sour with everyone, and even Senku's barely accomplished anything other than a couple extra blueprints. I could go on..." he looked at Gen meaningfully. "But everyone's waiting for you to get back on your feet. No one's expecting you to smile and pretend that everything's alright, but they all want to reassure you that trust is universal."

"That's what friends are for."

Gen sat for a few minutes in contemplative silence, speaking up eventually, "Maybe... maybe I'll sit out here for a while until they get back."

"Oho, that's the spirit," he smacked Gen lightly, "And between you and me, I have full confidence that you'll make a complete recovery. You're quite stubborn, y'know."

Gen smirked lightly, "You don't say."

"Oh, I know it."

* * *

After a few weeks of steady recovery and a few more laughs, Gen was feeling a lot more like his old self. Most of his memories had made a return, if in weird fragments that he had to stitch together with his friends' help. In hindsight, it could have been so much worse.

But he had no recollection of the hot air balloon ride. Not a single, tiny shard of a memory existed. 

That was probably for the best.

However, looking at the balloon made him wonder...

What had it been like to gaze out on the horizon from that height? The thought terrified him and excited him at the same time. He was curious.

_That was probably the driving force behind me getting on the thing the first time around._

Maybe Kohaku's goading had encouraged him a little, but he was never going to let her know that. 

Gen stood and stared at the balloon in contemplation.

"Do you... want a ride?" Ryusui spoke up quietly, startling him.

Kohaku, who overheard the question stomped over and went to slap Ryusui, "I cannot believe that you--"

"I might," Gen spoke up softly.

"Wait, really? After everything...?" Kohaku's mouth was agape.

Senku walked over, "We'll make sure it's ten billion percent safe this time, ku ku ku," he chuckled. He tied a rope to the base of the basket and held it up triumphantly. "It's not going anywhere!"

Ryusui bit back a grin, "Way to cramp my style, Senku!" He turned to Gen, "You sure?"

Gen nodded, "I'd really like to see it. And... um, remember it this time." He gestured to Suika, "You want to join us, Suika-chan?"

She shrieked in glee and hugged him tightly, "Yes, Suika loves the balloon! Let's go, Suika will show you everything!" she tugged him toward the waiting basket with a beaming smile.

They rose into the air smoothly and Gen gripped the handrail with nervous excitement. The sensation didn't feel entirely new to him, so maybe a small piece of his mind had held onto the memory after all...

He dug out the stuffed watermelon dog from his inner pocket and handed it back to Suika, "Thank you for letting me take care of your dog while I was... recovering. I think he would like to go back to you now."

She grinned up at him and took the dog, "You're welcome! If you ever wanna borrow him again, just ask!"

He chuckled, "Of course."

The balloon stopped it's ascent and Gen looked down to find Magma, Nikki, and Taiju holding the rope from the ground. Ryusui gave them a thumbs up and Gen felt an overwhelming sense of peace... he could trust all of them, after all.

The sun was setting over the lush forest, the mountains going dark and stars beginning to pinprick the night sky. 

It was ten billion percent the most beautiful sunset Gen had ever seen.

An unforgettable memory.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A couple months after the balloon incident, Gen realizes he is missing more memories than he previously thought and tries to keep it to himself...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this fic was originally supposed to be done, but I was in the mood to write some more today (also, the whole thing ended up being shorter than I had originally planned, so here's just a bit more). Please enjoy and let me know what you think! ^-^
> 
> -Moe

Everything had been going just fine in the Kingdom of Science. 

After a few weeks of rest and recovery, Gen had managed to piece together his fragmented memories after suffering severe oxygen deprivation. He had had difficulties, sure. His brain had felt like a mixed-up rubik's cube and his body just wouldn't move the way he wanted it to. It had been frustrating.

But a few months afterward, Gen was back to his old self; Like nothing had ever even happened.

That's what he had thought, anyway.

Senku had told him that his memories would probably never add up 100%, and Gen had come to accept that. A little notebook had been made for him that had helped him to keep track of events in order and piece the little fragments together that came to him in the middle of the night. 

The notebook had been a lifeline for a while there, but Gen was getting confident that he wouldn't need it for too much longer. Time moves on, after all.

And then his soundness of mind cracked when January rolled around. One day Taiju and some others had made the trek to Ishigami Village and had returned with supplies, including a telescope. 

Gen was surprised: A telescope! Chrome and Kaseki must have created a telescope for Senku as a gift. Why hadn't he thought of that?

"Surprise, Senku!" Chrome held up the telescope proudly, "We're setting up a new observatory here at the shipyard. Now you can use the telescope whenever you want!" 

"Yeah," Kohaku piped up, "It's been an entire year since we built this thing and now it's gonna have a new home."

Gen's smile faltered. A whole year...? 

He wracked his brain; when had they built a telescope? They must have done it under his nose. It wasn't like Gen could keep up with every single thing the team invented. 

The team huddled together and mapped out blueprints for a new observatory. Yuzuriha and Kohaku spent time adding color and flair that the previous observatory had lacked while the men sat and added more technological advancements with growing excitement. Senku sat aside and fiddled with the telescope, seemingly thrilled to have it back, and Ryusui was rambling on about getting telescopes for the ship once it was complete. But Gen... 

"Yo, since it was your idea, what do you think, Gen?" Chrome turned to him, a grin on his face.

"My... idea?" he was bewildered. 

"Um, yeah, the telescope last year. We built and designed the last observatory together, so don't you want to take part this time too?" Chrome asked. 

Gen's heart dropped and it took every ounce of willpower to keep himself acting naturally. He couldn't remember. That was impossible... he had thought that all his missing memories were from after the chase with Ukyo, but--

"Gen?"

He snapped back to the present and smiled, "Ah, no thanks, Chromey. I'll let you guys handle it this year. I'm actually going to go for a walk."

"In this weather?" Ukyo frowned. The snow was falling steadily as the sun set into the night. 

"A short walk," Gen amended, holding his hands out as if he had not a care in the world. 

The others dove back into their work and ignored him, so Gen slipped away, the trail lit up by moonlight that cracked through the clouds above. 

When he was far enough away where he felt he had some privacy, he brushed snow off of the base of a large tree and perched himself there, flipping through his notebook. 

"A year," he whispered, a hint of panic seeping into his voice, "Was it really a year? Why can't I remember?" His hands shook and he dropped the notebook in the snow. 

He sighed and took a deep breath, digging the notebook out, "Keep yourself together, Asagiri. It's one memory... it's completely normal for people to forget things. You're panicking over nothing."

But his heart was still racing. What else had he forgotten?

He flipped to the back of the notebook which contained a page of all the things his friends had told him that he still couldn't recall. When he remembered something he would cross it off. It was a list of both accomplishments and failures.

His shaky hand jotted down a new memory: _Building a telescope for Senku (1 Year ago)._

It wasn't fair. He had thought that everything was finally under control. He had thought that the whole incident was behind him. He had been doing so much better! 

He buried his head in his hands and sat beneath the snow and moonlight for an unknown period of time. It was peaceful there. 

_I should probably head back before I worry someone._

He went back to the shipyard and, ignoring any questioning looks, went straight to bed.

* * *

A week went by and Gen had barely gotten any sleep. At night he sat staring at the ceiling of the hut, his mind running a million miles a minute. He often wondered how Senku managed to get any sleep normally. He and Chrome seemed to have no trouble shutting their brains off as soon as their heads hit their pillows. 

Gen sat up one night, awakened by nightmares. He silently slipped his shoes and overcoat on and snuck outside the hut.

The snow was falling heavily, the ground blanketed in a fresh foot of white powder. His breath was easily seen in the air and Gen silently wished he had asked for a pair of gloves earlier when Yuzuriha had been taking orders. 

He tiptoed toward the shoreline, staying as far away from Ukyo's tent as possible. No one needed to know about his mental turmoil... he had caused enough trouble for everyone already. 

Gen walked along the shore and listened to the waves hitting against blocks of ice and snow. He flipped to the back of his notebook and looked over the list of forgotten events, wondering why he even bothered. _A telescope for Senku... _

Hopeless; he was hopeless.

His mind had become so focused on the notebook that he wasn't paying attention when the shore slanted suddenly and he slipped on the ice. His left side hit the ground first, his knee and head slamming painfully into the thick sheet of ice.

Gen cursed himself for his clumsiness and rubbed his throbbing head._ Great. I'm going to have a couple of nice bruises._ He felt his cheek where his scar was and it stung badly, but nothing felt broken. 

He sat up and hissed in pain as he turned over, knowing full well that he had done something to his knee. _Antastic-Fay. I spoke too soon.  
_

"Where's my--" Gen felt around for the notebook and his heart skipped a beat. He must have dropped it when he fell. His gaze slid down the icy slope and fell on the waves below. 

"No, no, no, no," Gen slid downward on his behind, nearly diving headfirst into the waves in search of the fallen pages. Where were they??

It was absolutely freezing and Gen knew that he was being a complete idiot, but he couldn't stop. He had to find the notebook. It was his lifeline... it was...

Gone. 

Gen sat, his eyes welling with tears of frustration. The freezing water soaked him to the bone and he was numb all over. At least he couldn't feel his hurt knee anymore.

He pulled himself together enough to drag himself away from the water, but he had trouble getting a grip on the icy shore. He looked up and realized that he had slid down a much steeper slope than he had realized. How stupid. He could see Senku calling him a _baka_ then and there.

He hunched over and folded his arms, ignoring his chattering teeth and stinging face. He tried to think of a way up, but his mind didn't want to cooperate. His eyes stayed focused on the waves, hoping his notebook would miraculously make its way back. 

"Gen?" 

Gen's eyes widened and his mind went blank. Ryusui.

"Are you alri--"

"Everything's fine," Gen interrupted quickly. He was panicking, so he forced himself to control his voice as he spoke, "I- I'm watching the ocean. I couldn't sleep." 

He could hear the frown in Ryusui's voice, "So you're sitting in the water?" A light shined down on him. Ryusui must have grabbed one of the headlamps.

Water?

Gen peeked down and realized his legs were indeed resting in the waves. When had that happened?

"U-um. Yes," he said lamely.

"Get yourself out of the water," Ryusui took on a commanding tone, "You'll die of hypothermia."

He sighed after Gen failed to move, "Grab my hand." 

Gen tilted his face toward where Ryusui was reaching for him, "I- I need to find my notebook first," he stammered. _Idiot. Just take his hand._

"You need to get out of the water first, Gen. Take my hand right now," there was a sense of urgency in Ryusui's voice and Gen couldn't help but feel like his priorities weren't in order. 

His lips trembled, "But- my memories-" 

"Gen, please," Ryusui begged, "I didn't bring a rope. Grab onto my hand."

Gen took a deep breath and turned, feebly grabbing at Ryusui's outstretched hand. The hand was warm and strong and hauled him to his feet. Gen couldn't even feel as he stood and he didn't notice when Ryusui somehow pulled him up from the shore. He found himself on his back looking up at the falling snow. A snowflake landed on his nose. 

Ryusui helped him sit up and quickly wrapped his cloak around him, "You're going to be the death of me, mentalist," he muttered, "And you're lucky I followed after you. What were you thinking, coming out here in the middle of the night?"

Gen shuddered, "My- my notebook," he turned to the ocean in desperation.

Ryusui shook him gently, but firmly, "Forget the notebook. You went ocean diving in 15 degrees for some paper?"

Tears pricked at Gen's eyes and he trembled harder, "I- I know... I know. But- my memories..."

Ryusui's eyes softened, "I thought you were over that."

Gen wiped away the tears in embarrassment. _Pull yourself together. What is wrong with you?_ "I am. I- I was." He blinked. "I forgot something important and... panicked. I'm sorry, I d-didn't mean..." 

Ryusui laid his hat gently on Gen's head and sighed, "Don't apologize. Of course you're not over it, yet. That was insensitive..." he glanced away, "We've noticed that you've seemed off this week, but no one wanted to pry either. As your captain, it's my responsibility to look after my crew." He looked guilty and Gen felt terrible. 

"Can you get up?" Ryusui offered his hand.

Gen took it and was lifted to his feet, but immediately collapsed, his body too frozen to respond. Ryusui caught him and pulled him into his arms, "Jeez, Senku's gonna kill me..." 

Gen took a shuddering breath and surrendered, wrapping his arms around Ryusui's neck. He desperately hoped that no one was awake to see their return. 

Oh how far the mentalist had fallen.

* * *

At some point, Gen had fallen asleep and awoke covered in blankets near a small stove. He flexed his fingers in relief, but his face and knee throbbed painfully. He moved his head around to get a good look at his surroundings and realized with mild surprise that he was back in their hut. 

"Well look who's up," Senku sat in Gen's view, looking exhausted but stern.

Not again.

"I heard you went polar diving last night," Senku remarked. "Catch anything? Besides that nasty bruise on your face or a dislocated knee?" His sarcasm was palpable. 

Gen swallowed. It had seemed so important that he find his notebook the night before, but now...

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "To be fair though, I didn't actually mean to go into the water," Gen smirked. It didn't work. 

Senku pinched the bridge of his nose, "Why were you even near the shore? Ryusui said you were desperate to get your notebook. You realize that I've seen it, right? I could have told you everything that was in there and you could have written a new one-" he rambled. 

Gen reddened. Of course Senku had memorized it. 

"The telescope..." Gen whispered.

"What was that?"

"The telescope," Gen shook, "I added it last week. I couldn't... remember it." He felt wetness on his cheek and wanted to drown himself. _You can't cry in front of Senku of all people, baka..._

Senku didn't speak. His expression didn't change at all.

Gen continued, "I thought that I had my timeline down and thought that I remembered everything, but..." he took a shuddering breath, willing himself not to break down, "I'm still lost." 

Senku's facade cracked a little, "You had a meltdown over the telescope? Heh." He turned to stare into the small firepit, "Little things like that are bound to slip through the cracks. You shouldn't beat yourself up over it."

"But--"

"Relax," Senku smiled, "You should seriously relax, man. You're lucky you got as much of your memory back as you did. Without modern medicine you could have seriously--" he stopped himself and sighed, looking back at Gen. "Just be a little more careful, alright? No more polar diving at night." 

Senku chuckled, "I don't think Ryusui's heart can take much more of this. You'll kill our captain before we even get the chance to set sail, ku ku."

Gen chuckled as well, surprisingly feeling much better. 

Senku demanded that he get more rest and Gen drifted off into a much more peaceful sleep.

* * *

A week later Gen was sitting outside resting his knee and watching a few of the crew work on the hull of the ship. It was much too cold to be doing any construction, but some of the team just refused to sit still.

"Yo, Gen!" Chrome called out, snapping him out of his reverie. "You're needed in the photo center!"

Gen shrugged and dragged himself to the shack, grumbling about his knee like an old man. If Kaseki heard him complaining it would not be pretty.

He shut the door, "And how may I be of service, Minami-chan?" he asked the photojournalist. Chrome, Senku, and Ryusui were also in the photo room, immediately raising Gen's suspicions. 

"Actually, we had something for you," Minami grinned, "Suika?" 

He knew it.

Suika popped up from behind him proudly brandishing a thick book, "Here! We put this together for you." She dropped it on the table and Gen leaned in curiously. 

"For me?"

"Don't beat around the bush. Just open it," Senku demanded, rubbing his ear with a dumb grin.

Gen cautiously turned the cover over and his eyes lit up as he flipped through the book. The pages were full of photographs of the past months. Not only photographs but drawings and hand-written notes done by all the villagers. Many of the villagers couldn't even write, but most of them left a little something or other. Many dictated things they wanted to say to the modern people who could write. 

There were so many memories in there and Gen felt so overwhelmed that he stopped turning the pages and simply stared down at the book. 

He glanced up to see them all leaning in with huge grins, except for Senku who was trying to appear nonchalant. 

"Just don't drop this one in the ocean, okay?" Ryusui teased. 

One by one they left him to look over the book in peace. He turned to the last page and his smile widened into amusement.

On it was a detailed diagram on how to create a telescope from scratch. 

He let himself cry only a little bit, but this time they were happy tears. 

He was going to be just fine.

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo everyone! I apologize in advance because this is my first time posting on AO3 (so if I've made technical mistakes I'm sorry, haha). Anyway, this was just a quick fic that I knocked out when I was home sick, so it's not super long or anything. I dropped it on Fanfiction already as a multi-chap fic, but someone suggested posting it here (thank you random stranger). I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you think! ^-^ 
> 
> -Moe


End file.
